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Since Roscoe was not allowed to say what was going on around him, Gladys was most likely following the war over the radio waves and by reading the local papers. The above article was published in The Vidette-Messsenger (Valparaiso, Indiana) on November 4, 1942. Written by a UP reporter, the article was picked up by papers around the country, perhaps even the Newton County Enterprise, one of the papers that Gladys read regularly.

Letter transcription:

Nov. 5, 1942

Dear Mother,

What with eleven letters yesterday and 10 today I’m getting pretty well caught up. Those yesterday were all from you but today’s letters were varied. One from Mom, one from Walkup’s and one from Allgoods, but all those letters you told me about that were sent to me when David came have not arrived. So Mark calls the baby Davie – seems as if I’ve referred to him as the same, hope I haven’t put too much in Mark’s mind.

I sent you the radiogram I received the other day. Thought you might want to put it in David’s scrap book. I had to cut out one word so that it would pass the censor. You should have received something on that end because the thing needed a reply, but I turned it over to the Chaplin. So I’m not sure what he may have said. Sometimes I don’t trust them too far. I told him to say the word received OK. So anything else will be extra.

[page 2] You will note I haven’t bawled you out for what you haven’t written. I’m not going to. So far I haven’t received letters on Sept. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 18 and from 19 to 26. See from 19 to 26 I missed all the excitement then I haven’t received any from Oct 14 to Oct 23 but did get the Oct. 24 letter. So that brings me up to date pretty well. Some of those days are were probably Sun. and since you don’t write on Sun. there are bound to be a few days missing. I write every day Sun included. I can’t tell which is Sunday after it is past because of lack of calendar as I have told you – You don’t know how much they are missed until there isn’t one around.

I should have told you about wrapping packages. They should be wrapped extra good, because I’ve seen some come in that are in very poor condition. In fact just holding together and that is all. I’ve sent you two packages and you

[page 3] haven’t mentioned them. So I wonder if they arrived. It will take those much longer than air mail letters however.

We may have a change of address in a few days so if you don’t hear for several days you will know. There is nothing to worry about but just keep it in mind. Of course, we don’t know for sure but as I’ve said before even at Norfolk one didn’t know when his address might be changed.

Many of the fellows have Christmas packages already. Seems early but they really got here in time. It’s really very uncertain how and when to mail anything to have it arrive when it’s supposed to.

One of our boys was given the distinguished flying cross in a little affair we had here today. It was a swell thing for the kid and of course the first that I had ever seen. May we have more like him. I could say more but I can’t. Now what kind of talk is that.

I’ll save the rest of the space, got 2 V-mail letters dated Sept. 14 & Sept. 12. They aren’t good – but you might keep writing one or two per mo-

Love Daddy

©2013, copyright owned and written by Deborah Sweeney

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